A COMMUNAL HISTORY OF METROIDVANIA VIDEO GAMES
- Mar 27
- 2 min read
Derrick Bitner (Author), Luan Tie (Illustrator)
![A minimalist book cover titled “A Communal History of [Metroidvania] Video Games” features a clean white upper section with bold black typography, while the lower portion displays a stylized, surreal landscape illustration: a dense forest of tall, thin, evenly spaced trees casting long shadows over reddish-brown ground, beneath which lies a cross-sectional view of an organic, cavernous underground filled with textured, root-like structures and numerous flat, circular red shapes resembling mushrooms or spores scattered across a teal-blue substrate; a tiny lone human figure stands near the boundary between surface and underground, emphasizing scale and isolation, while additional vertical text along the left margin lists notable game influences, contributing to an academic yet artistic tone.](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/84088f_b2d779626b40453aa798a5696aa38ed9~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_163,h_250,al_c,blur_30/84088f_b2d779626b40453aa798a5696aa38ed9~mv2.png)
![A minimalist book cover titled “A Communal History of [Metroidvania] Video Games” features a clean white upper section with bold black typography, while the lower portion displays a stylized, surreal landscape illustration: a dense forest of tall, thin, evenly spaced trees casting long shadows over reddish-brown ground, beneath which lies a cross-sectional view of an organic, cavernous underground filled with textured, root-like structures and numerous flat, circular red shapes resembling mushrooms or spores scattered across a teal-blue substrate; a tiny lone human figure stands near the boundary between surface and underground, emphasizing scale and isolation, while additional vertical text along the left margin lists notable game influences, contributing to an academic yet artistic tone.](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/84088f_b2d779626b40453aa798a5696aa38ed9~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_361,h_553,al_c/84088f_b2d779626b40453aa798a5696aa38ed9~mv2.png)
Most people who play video games know of the portmanteau origins of ‘Metroidvania’: combining classic series Castlevania and Metroid, the term was coined to describe titles that feature non-linear exploration and gated progression. Plenty more are familiar with the status Metroidvanias now command – games like Hollow Knight and Animal Well capture hearts with each upgrade unearthed and door unlocked. Like its masterworks new and old, the genre’s story is sprawling, extending down surprising and rarely travelled routes.
A Communal History of Metroidvania Video Games retraces the genre’s steps back to the 1970s, from there uncovering fifty years of discoveries and dead-ends. Through incisive retrospectives and personal essays, twenty writers lend their unique expertise to this shared story, mapping both its critical path and far-off fringes. Together, they explore not just how Metroidvanias have changed over time, but how the genre has touched the lives of countless players around the world.
Celebrate titans of the genre while making space for offbeat icons. Journey back to the pre-Metroid era with essential historical curiosities like Below the Root and Xanadu. Imagine a different sort of Metroidvania with atypical adventures like La-Mulana and Tomba. Meet the overlooked greats of the Japanese indie scene, like Hack9 and Pharaoh Rebirth+. And, of course, chart the growth of the Metroid and Castlevania series from their foundational entries through to their modern classics.
PUBLICATION DETAILS
LANGUAGE | BINDING | EDITION | ISBN | YEAR | PAGES |
English | Hardcover | TBD | 2026 | 250 |
OTHER NAMES
A Communal History of Metroidvania Video Games
TAGS
Authors/Illustrators: #DerrickBitner #FranciscoDominguez #GraceBenfell #LuanTie #NadiaOxford
Publishers: #LostInCult (Lost In Cult)
Languages: #English
Format: #Hardcover
Accessibility: N/A
Year: #Year2026
Genres: #Compendium #Indie
Companies:
N/A
Public Figures:
N/A
Games:
#AnimalWell (Animal Well)
#BelowTheRoot (Below the Root)
#Castlevania (Castlevania)
#Hack9 (Hack9)
#HollowKnight (Hollow Knight)
#LaMulana (La-Mulana)
#MegamiTensei (Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue)
#Metroid (Metroid)
#PharaohRebirth (Pharaoh Rebirth+)
#PrinceOfPersia (Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown)
#RainWorld (Rain World)
#SuperStarForce (Super Star Force: Jikūreki no Himitsu [スーパースターフォース 時空暦の秘密])
#TheMummy (The Mummy Demastered)
#Tomba (Tomba)
#TouhouProject (Touhou Luna Nights)
#WonderBoy (Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap)
#Xanadu (Xanadu)
Misc:
#ACommunalHistory (Lost In Cult's "A Communal History Of" series)
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